It Could Happen Here What’s Real in the Politics of Population with Andrew
Oct 29, 2025
Andrew and Mia dive into the fascinating history of human population growth and the complexities of its impact on society. They dissect Malthusian theories and unpack how famine often stems from distribution issues rather than scarcity. The discussion then shifts to the influence of the Population Bomb, conspiracy theories surrounding population control, and the real dangers of vaccine misinformation. They also explore the implications of declining fertility rates, economic pressures on parenting, and how these themes shape current policies and cultural fears.
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Industrial Health Sparked The Population Boom
- Human population grew very slowly until industrial-era health and sanitation improvements triggered exponential growth.
- We rose from 1 billion in 1804 to 8 billion by 2022 because infant mortality fell and food and medicine improved.
Why Families Once Had Many Children
- Andrew recalls families historically having many children because most didn't survive to adulthood.
- He notes vaccines and sanitation later dramatically reduced child mortality and changed family planning.
Famine Is Often A Political Failure
- Famines usually reflect distribution failures and political choices, not absolute food scarcity.
- Amartya Sen's work shows many famines occur despite food surpluses and export practices that worsen local hunger.
